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Henry III - Long Cross - Class 3d1, 3d2, 3d3
Churchill and Thomas in 2012 introduced the subdivision of "class 3c late" into:
Sub-class 3d2 differs from 3d1 in having a different style of letter R than 3d1 (Ball-shaped foot, R2, versus a wedge shaped R1) and a broader bust more like that of class 4 coins. 3c coins from non-provincial mints can be distinguished from 3d1 by the shape of the bust; with busts of sub-class 3d1 being smaller, neater, and with a more pointed chin. 3d2 are relatively easy to identify - their busts being similar to those of class 4, they have the diagnostic ball-footed R, and additionally the inner circle on the reverse tends to be made of smaller pellets, thus allowing a greater number in each quadrant. Prior to the publication of the Churchill and Thomas study, all the above were usually described as 3c, sometimes being sub-divided into 3c early and 3c late. Varieties of 3d2 include types with a single pellet after REX and with a colon after REX, as well as varieties with no punctuation marks In a 2015 article, on the henry3.com website, Ian Heavisides and Robert Page proposed the introduction of class 3d3 for class 3d2 coins having an eight-limbed initial mark, as seen in class 4, rather than the usual six-limbed initial mark. These coins are only seen from the London mint. This 3d3 group can be further sub-divided into two groups, those bearing a colon in the legend after REX and those where there is a simple single pellet stop. Whether sub-class 3d3 was a late issue, so late that the dies did not reach Canterbury or Bury or whether they were produced as a parallel issue to some 3d2 dies is debatable. Churchill & Thomas recorded 5 coins with mm 5 that were amongst 16 coins displaying a 3d2 obverse paired with a 3d1 reverse, in the Brussels Hoard, suggesting that the issue was early enough to be paired with remaining reverses with the wedge-tailed R1. BNS Research Blog Reference I. Heavisides & R. Page, 2020, Henry III Long Cross – The Subdivision of Class 3d |
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